Orcee

Arthritis is a disease in which joints of a person are inflamed, swollen and stiff. It is painful and chronic. It is not just a single disease; it includes a group of disorders that affect a person’s joints and muscles.

Persons having arthritis feel difficulty in movement, bending or using their hands. They feel pain in joints. Pain can sometimes be severe.

There are various forms of arthritis. Most common forms are –

Rheumatoid Arthritis
Osteoarthritis
Infectious Arthritis (Septic Arthritis)
Gout

Rheumatoid arthritis: – Rheumatoid arthritis is a serious and inflammatory type of Arthritis which affects finger joints, hips, knees, feet, wrists, tendons, muscles etc. In this type of arthritis the synovial membrane is attached which causes swelling and pain. If not treated for long time then it can lead to deformity.

People of age group between 40 and 50 are generally affected by this type of arthritis. This form of arthritis is more common in women then men.

 Osteoarthritis: – Osteoarthritis is considered as a degenerative joint ailment resulting from the damage of cartilage and direct rubbing of bones against each other. 

Infectious arthritis (Septic arthritis): – A person acquires this type of arthritis due to infection in the tissues of a joint and the synovial fluid (which nourishes the joint and the cartilage) either by bacteria or by fungi or viruses.

Gout: – When there is excess uric acid in blood stream then uric acid is deposited in spaces between the joints causing inflammation, swelling and pain. Though it occurs most commonly in toes yet it can affect other parts of body like thumb, knee, elbow etc. 
 

Symptoms

1) the patient feels tenderness, sharp pain in joints.

2) The patient might have swelling and inflammation in joints.

3) The patient might have a fever also.

Risk Factors

1) Age factor- Arthritis generally occurs in the older age group.
2) Obesity – Osteoarthritis type of arthritis is associated with obesity.
3) Gender / hormone factor – Arthritis is most common in women than men.
4) Nutrient deficiency.
5) Environment factor – Persons living for a long time in dump and cold climate have chances of acquiring arthritis.
6) Joint injuries.

Author: Surya Narayan Bhattacharya

What is anaemia?

Anaemia is a condition in which there is deficiency in the number of red blood cells in the blood of a person or decrease in the quantity of hemoglobin in red blood cells.

Bone marrow produces various types of blood cells – White blood cells, Red blood cells, Platelets etc. Here we are discussing about red blood cells. Red blood cells carry oxygen from lungs to other parts of our body. A red coloring matter, Hemoglobin, is the iron containing protein attached to our red blood cells. Normally a person should have 15(fifteen) grams of hemoglobin per 100(hundred) ml of blood.
Causes of anaemia: – Lack of iron, protein, vitamins (mainly folic acid and B12) etc. causes anaemia.

Reasons may be

1.) Loss of blood due to bleeding piles, peptic ulcer, polyps, excessive menstruation in women.

2.) Decrease in the formation of RBC due to some disorder.

3.) Due to intestinal parasites – Hook worms, tape worms, round worms, etc. which feed on blood or vitamins.

4.) Due to taking of food containing less vitamins, folic acid, iron, etc.

Symptoms: – Pale skin, headache, tiredness, short breath, loss of weight, weakness.

Remedies

Diets: – Take diets rich in iron, protein and vitamins. Take –

1. Spinach, carrots, apricots, bananas, apples, oranges, wheat germs etc.
2. Beat juice: Beat juice is very useful for curing anaemia. Beat contains potassium, phosphorous, calcium, iron and also vitamins.
3. Vitamin B12: This vitamin is found in animal protein, liver, kidneys etc.

Author: Surya Narayan Bhattacharya

Diabetes Mellitus: – often referred simply as Diabetes is a common disease. Diabetes is a metabolic disorder wherein, the human body is not in the condition to produce enough or does not properly utilize the insulin, a hormone produced in the pancreas which enables cells to absorb glucose in order to turn it into energy. In diabetes, the body either fails to properly respond to its own insulin, does not make enough insulin or both. This causes glucose to accumulate in the blood, often leading to various complications. Diabetes Mellitus is characterized by constant high levels of blood glucose (sugar). Human body has to maintain the blood glucose level at a very narrow range, which is done with insulin and glucagons. The function of glucagons is causing the liver to release glucose from its cells into the blood, for the production of energy. There are many types of diabetes. The principal three are:

• Type 1 Diabetes – Results from the body’s failure to produce insulin.

• Type 2 Diabetes – Results from insulin resistance, a condition in which cells fail to use insulin properly, sometimes combined with relative insulin deficiency.

• Gestational Diabetes – Pregnant women who have never had diabetes before but who have high blood sugar (glucose) levels during pregnancy are said to have gestational diabetes. Gestational     diabetes affects about 4% of all pregnant women. It may precede development of type 2 (or rarely type 1).

• Many other forms of diabetes mellitus are categorized separately from these. Examples include congenital diabetes due to genetic defects of insulin secretion, cystic fibrosis-related diabetes, steroid diabetes induced by high doses of glucocorticoids (Glucocorticoids are a class of steroid hormones that bind to the glucocorticoid receptor, which is present in almost every vertebrate animal cell.), and several forms of Monogenic Diabetes.

Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes obstruct a person’s carefree life. When breaking down of glucose in the body is stopped completely, it takes the help of fat and protein to produce the energy, due to which symptoms like polydipsia, polyuria, polyphegia, excessive weight loss etc is noticed in a diabetic. Normal blood sugar level in a human body is between 70 mg/dl to 110 mg/dl at fasting state. If blood sugar level is lower than 70 mg/dl, it is termed as hypoglycemia and if it is higher than 110 mg/dl, it is termed as hyperglycemia. Though all forms of diabetes have become treatable since 1921 because of the availability of Insulin, it’s not fully curable except a pancreas transplant, although gestational diabetes normally resolves after delivery. Acute complications in diabetes include hypoglycemia, diabetic ketoacidosis or nonketotic hyperosmdar coma which may occur if the disease isn’t treated or properly controlled. Serious long term includes cardiovascular disease, chronic renal failure, and retinal damage leading to blindness, nerve failure, erectile dysfunction and poor wound healing, which, particularly of the feet may cause gangrene, possibly requiring amputation.

Proper and adequate treatment of diabetes as well as increased emphasis and special care about the increased blood pressure and life style factors such as not smoking, having a healthy and fit body may improve the risk profile of most of the chronic complications. Over weight, lack of exercise, family history, stress etc increase the risk of diabetes. Diabetes is the most significant cause of adult blindness in the non elderly and the leading cause of non traumatic amputation in adults.

Author: Amrita Lahiri